Samsung SmartThings Introduces Two-Way Thread Network Unification

New industry-first capability simplifies smart home setup, boosts network performance, and enables greater interoperability across ecosystems

October 1, 2025 — Mountain View, CA — SmartThings, Samsung Electronics’s global connected living platform, today announced it is one of the first major smart home ecosystems to support two-way Thread network unification, enabling users to seamlessly join SmartThings Hubs to existing Thread networks formed by other ecosystems and vice versa.

This update helps users build and grow their smart home with Thread devices, taking advantage of Thread’s mesh networking for better range, responsiveness, and reliability. With Thread network unification, a new SmartThings Hub can either join an existing Thread network right after the initial setup or allow a Border Router (BR) from another ecosystem to join the Thread network already in use by SmartThings. Once unified, all Border Routers in the home work together seamlessly.

“SmartThings has always been about giving users choice and flexibility in how they build their smart home,” said Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings US. “Thread network unification eliminates the barriers between ecosystems, so devices and Border Routers can work together in one powerful mesh, delivering the performance and simplicity our users have been asking for.”

Key Benefits

• Better Range & Reliability — Unified BRs form a single, self-healing mesh that covers more of the home, maintains connections even if a device goes offline, and routes data along the fastest available path.
  
  
• Simplified Setup — Joining the right Thread network from the start prevents network fragmentation and avoids the complexity of migrating devices later.
  
  
• Flexible Network Management — Users can add or remove BRs from the unified network at any time, see all connected BRs across ecosystems, and maintain connected devices even when a BR leaves a network.

How It Works

A new “Manage Thread Network” menu in the SmartThings Hub interface guides users through the unification process:

• Joining a SmartThings hub to an Existing Thread Network:
  
  
  • Select “Join another network” in the SmartThings app.
    
    Join a chosen network via saved Thread credentials in the mobile OS credential locker, or by scanning a QR code/entering a one-time passcode (OTP) from a third-party app with a compatible Thread 1.4 Border Router in the sharing mode.
    
    
  • The SmartThings hub securely retrieves credentials and joins the target network in minutes.
    
    
• Adding a Third-Party Border Router to a SmartThings Hub’s Thread Network:
  
  
  • Select “Share SmartThings network” in the SmartThings app.
    
    
  • Initiate the Thread 1.4 credential sharing, which generates a QR code and a one-time passcode (OTP).
    
    
  • Scan the QR code or enter the OTP in the third-party app to join its Border Router to the SmartThings Thread network.

While Thread Network Unification delivers a significant leap in simplicity and performance, realizing the full benefits of Thread 1.4 credential sharing depends on having compatible Thread 1.4 BRs across ecosystems. At launch in Q3 2025, the feature will be available on select SmartThings hubs (including the Aeotec Smart Home Hub and the Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2), with more hubs to follow. Users will need the latest 0.58.x hub firmware and iOS 1.7.37.x and Android OS 1.8.37.x mobile app from SmartThings. Third-party ecosystems may release Thread 1.4 compatibility updates to their Border Routers on their own timelines.

For more information about Thread Network Unification and the latest SmartThings updates, visit https://www.samsung.com/smartthings.

###

About SmartThings

SmartThings, Samsung’s global connected living platform, builds smart homes that are convenient, safe, sustainable, and fun. Millions of people, in nearly 200 countries, use SmartThings to easily control their connected homes and IoT devices. SmartThings delivers simple, powerful experiences across Samsung’s leading portfolio of phones, TV, and appliances. We offer the most versatile smart home experience as an open platform with a rich partner ecosystem. As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more secure, reliable, and seamless to use. Do the SmartThings at www.partners.smartthings.com